Uhtred of Bebbanburg

Uhtred of Bebbanburg (856-) was an Anglo-Saxon Northumbrian nobleman who was raised by the Danish Viking leader Earl Ragnar after being captured at the Siege of York as a child. Despite his upbringing, he later reveled in the defeats of the Danes as an ealdorman loyal to King Alfred the Great.

Early life
Uhtred was born "Osbert" in 856 in Bebbanburg, Northumbria, the son of Ealdorman Uhtred of Bebbanburg and the younger brother of Uhtred. As the second child, he was raised with the intention of becoming a Catholic priest, and he was educated by the priest Beocca. In 866, Osbert's older brother Uhtred was beheaded by the Vikings under Earl Ragnar, and Osbert was rebaptized as "Uhtred", continuing a family tradition of the oldest son being named Uhtred. Days later, his father left with a force of local men to join Kings Aella and Osberht of Northumbria in recapturing the city of York from the Vikings; Uhtred's uncle Alferic was left with 30 men to protect Uhtred. Alferic despised Uhtred, and he ordered Scallion to murder Uhtred if the older Uhtred died in battle.

Capture
Uhtred snuck out of Bebbanburg in battle armor and rode to York to rejoin his father, and he arrived just in time to witness his father's death in battle. He vainly attempted to attack Earl Ragnar, who knocked him out and took him captive. Uhtred was made Ravn's slave, and he was raised in the Danish culture. He rescued Ragnar's daughter Thyra from Sven Kjartansson, who had stripped her half-naked in a rape attempt, and Ragnar became proud of Uhtred, giving him an amulet of Thor's hammer; Uhtred's acceptance of the amulet meant his embracing of Germanic paganism. Unfortunately, Sven's father Kjartan fled to Bebbanburg and informed Alferic that his nephew was alive and able to be ransomed; both men wanted Uhtred dead. At the meeting between the Viking leaders and Alferic, the priest Beocca reunited with Uhtred; he quietly warned the boy that his uncle Alferic wanted to kill him and become Ealdorman. Ragnar ultimately arranged for Ravn to sell Uhtred to him instead, and Ragnar said that Alferic would have to deal with him now; an intimidated Alferic allowed for Uhtred to be in Ragnar's care, and returned to Bebbanburg.

Uhtred Ragnarsson
Uhtred was raised as Ragnar's son, adopting the name "Uhtred Ragnarsson" and being loved the same as Ragnar Ragnarsson, his older adoptive brother. He found living with the Danes freer than living with the pious Christians, and he embraced the Norse gods of Thor, Odin, and Hoder. Uhtred lived a happy life in the village of Leeds with his new family for years, and, in 871, his adoptive father suggested that he marry Brida, another Anglo-Saxon who was raised by the Danes. However, as Uhtred met with Brida at the blacksmith's fire in the forest that night, Kjartan and Sven set the Great Hall on fire, killing Ragnar and several other people; only Thyra survived. Kjartan initially believed that Uhtred was killed, but Uhtred later surfaced while attempting to regain the title "Ealdorman of Bebbanburg" from his uncle, a Danish puppet. Kjartan then framed Uhtred for Ragnar's murder, saying that he had led a Saxon uprising against the Danes. Uhtred and Brida were forced to flee to Winchester, the capital of the last surviving Anglo-Saxon kingdom, Wessex, their lives as Danes having been ruined.